Help needed Zig Battery and Charging system

Hi everyone. I wonder if someone can help us please. We have just bought our camper and are complete novices!! The camper is fitted with a Zig system to switch from 'Car battery' to 'auxillary battery' and also has a Zig 3 charger installed. On reading the instructions it says to charge the leisure battery from electric hook up to follow the instructions re electric hook up (no problem so far) then switch the charger on - there is no switch on the charger...... also that a green light will illuminate on the charger when it is charging - no obvious light on the charger at all. Should the leisure battery charge up when the engine is running? Does anyone have any ideas why the previous owner might have disconnected the positive terminal to the leisure battery leaving an earth and the negative attached? The previous owner wasn't able to shed any light at all and simply said they always used it with electric hook up. Also, if used on electric hook up will that also power the lights which are connected to the 12 volt system? If not I can't really see much benefit in having electric hook up unless someone can enlighten me as our fridge only works on 12v or gas. Thanks guys we really don't have a clue!

Hi Deb & Geoff.

I think you will find that the Renault Traffic Holdsworth San Remo is not an Autosleeper model.
Like it says on the tin it was made by the company Holdsworth.
The members of the forum are quite expert in most things about the Autosleeper models.
So apart from the odd similar items. Replies might be a little limited.
Don't know if there is a dedicated forum for the Holdsworth models.
There might be. An internet search may help to locate one.

Good luck with it.

Whisky.

Welcome to this Autosleepers forum. We invite new members to introduce themselves (as per the note on the opening page). No doubt you'll wish to do so in due course.

The principles of using the Zig / mains hookup are of course the same irrespective of what make motorhome is involved. This forum is brilliant because there are experts who are always prepared to share their knowledge. I'm not one of them - but these basic introductory comments may at least set the scene for you, pending specialist advice.

Normally, when the engine is running (and therefore, of course, you're not connected to mains!) it generates a 12v supply. The zig ensures that the 12v supply is used first where it's essential i.e. to run the engine and the vehicle's 12v systems such as lights, instruments, charging vehicle battery etc. In addition, the zig sends any surplus electricity (so to speak) to charge some of the habitation system's circuits. Normally, that's confined to running the fridge and charging the auxiliary battery.

When the engine is off, and the motorhome is still not connected to mains, then the 12v system of the vehicle derives power from the vehicle battery, and the habitation system derives its power from the auxiliary battery. In that state, it's normal for the habitation lights, pumps, heater fan, igniter for the fridge to be powered, but little else. In particular the fridge will not run on 12v - but of course it will run on gas, and to ignite the gas the 12v igniter will work.

Now hook up to mains. Normally the vehicle's battery will not be charged. But the auxiliary battery will. It does so via the inboard charger (sometimes housed under the passenger seat, sometimes with it's own on / off switch which is normally always left on, and sometimes with its own light to indicate that it's working.) There's often a zig panel easily visible in the motorhome which might have another light to show that the system is on mains, and charging.

When on mains, because the auxiliary battery is charging, all the habitation 12v systems can be used without restriction. Think of it as the electricity coming constantly into the auxiliary battery from the hookup, and being used by the 12v habitation system. Fine. But in addition, you can use the 240v habitation system. That will power the immersion heater, the fridge on 240v, the central heating system etc - and of course you can plug in the 240v appliances which you've brought along, like TV, kettle, phone charger etc. (Subject to the amps available, of course: usually 16 amps in UK, often less overseas).

Now I'm a bit puzzled by your reference to "why the previous owner might have disconnected the positive terminal to the leisure battery leaving an earth and the negative attached?" 3 wires off a battery having 2 terminals? But this is where I bow out and ask some of our expert friends to take over!

Cymro

Hi Cymro.

I remember a friend of mine had a holdworth van in the mid 80s. He also had strange electrical problems.
Holdsworth didn't always stick to the normal wiring arrangments you would find in an Autosleeper for reasons best known to themselves.

All rather strange. Whisky.

I think one of the 'changes' that have occurred in the life of your motorhome is a change in the zig unit. Have you checked the model number against the instructions you have. If, and I suspect it will be different, then I would look up the actual model number on an internet search and see if the appropriate instructions are available.

We all have these teething problems when taking over a motorhome that has been previously owned and 'adapted' over the years.l

Good luck

Ian

Hi,
If your van has had its leisure battery disconnected there must have been a reason for it and it will not charge or power anything until reconnected. I would recommend you have an engineer look at it, at the least you will probably need a new leisure battery. I would guess that your 12 volt lights are working from the vehicle battery, or from the charger when on hook up but I would find out asap,
regards,
Chris